Velvet wire casing and underwear

ABSTRACT

A velvet wire casing for containing the steel wire used as a bra support in underclothing. It has a woven casing main body on which there are erect down-like soft fine feathers or hairs, which are integratedly woven into the main body when the main body is fabricated.

CREASE REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims benefit from United States Provisional Application number, filed Mar. 23, 2009.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the textile industry. More particularly, it relates to a velvet wire casing, as well as the underwear made of the velvet wire casing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At present, as we know, the cup of a bra generally uses a steel wire, which plays a role of supporting and protecting the breasts. Used in this way, the steel wire is usually wrapped in a bra support within the bra. Currently there are two main types of bra support (or wire casing) available in the market. The first one is made of a single-layer fabric, which after repeated folding, is sewn together into the form of a bra support. This type of bra support is time-consuming for manufacturing and difficult for use. Moreover, it is prone to being penetrated by the steel wire, therefore causing potential injuries to the wearer. The second type of bra support is the type commonly used at the present time, such as the bra support disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,578, issued on Jun. 6, 2000. It is made of a double-layered hollow fabric, containing a fusible yarn, which melts when the temperature reaches 90° C. during the dyeing process. When melted, it makes the warp yarn and the weft yarn bound together, creating a barrier in the fabric to prevent penetration by the steel wire. Although this bra support (wire casting) solves the penetration problem, it causes a hard, unpleasant feel to the touch due to the bounding formed by the fusible yarn.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a velvet wire casing for containing the steel wire used as a bra support in the bra. It comprises a woven casing main body on which there are erect down-like soft fine feathers or hairs. The fine hairs are integratedly woven into the main body when the main body is fabricated. The present invention also provides a type of underwear which incorporates the aforementioned velvet wire casing.

The main feature of the present invention is having erect down-like fine hairs on one side of the main casting body.

The technical design of the present invention is: a velvet wire casing comprising a velvet main body with integratedly woven fine hairs on one side of the main body.

The velvet wire casing main body is fabricated in the form of a three layer structural organization. The main body is a hollow structure, which is made from materials, such as, nylon and spandex, for example. Of course, the main body of the casing described here is a particular example for illustrating the present invention, but not the limit of the application of the present invention. People of ordinary skill in the art may practice the present invention with other types of main body structures made from other types of materials, that is, by using the method of present invention to add erect fine hairs to any suitable main body to make it feel more comfortable.

As a particular embodiment of the present invention, the erect fine hairs on the main casing body is formed from warp threads projecting from the surface. The erect fine hairs are formed after these projecting warp threads are cut. The resulting fine hairs have a certain height. For example, in this particular embodiment, the height is in a range between 0.5 mm-3.0 mm. The fine hairs are made from nylon, but it is not limited to nylon. It can also be made of other suitable materials.

Based on this wire casing, the present invention also provides various underclothes which incorporate the wire casing as described above.

In sum, the present invention provides a velvet wire casing in the form of a three-layer structural organization wherein certain warp threads form fine hairs, which feel similar to the down of swan. The wire casing with erect fine hairs according to the present invention can replace cup supports of all sorts that are commonly used and is advantageous in terms of visual appearance, touch, convenience of use, and comfort of wear. As such, it can be widely used in clothing, especially underwear, such as bras, swimming suits, female jackets, etc.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings and the following description in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts the diagram of a side view of the novel velvet wire casing of the prevent invention.

FIG. 2( a) depicts the diagram of a cross sectional view of the conventional wire casing.

FIG. 2( b) depicts the diagram of a cross sectional view of the novel velvet wire casing according the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts the structural organization of the top layer of the novel velvet wire casing according the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts the structural organization of the middle layer of the novel velvet wire casing according the present invention.

FIG. 5 depicts the structural organization of the bottom layer of the novel velvet wire casing according the present invention.

FIG. 6 depicts the structural organization of the fine hair layer of the novel velvet wire casing according the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a underwear using the novel velvet wire casing according the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

The following is the detailed description of an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached figures.

The textile equipment used in this particular embodiment is the shuttleless loom, more specifically the Muller NF53 6-42 from Switzerland, which may be replaced with other suitable machines.

The present invention provides a triple-layer fabric ribbon, fabricated according to the structural diagrams defined FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. The three fabric layers and the fine hair layer, as depicted in the FIG. 1 are integratedly fabricated at once. Then, the fine hair layer are cut in the middle, resulting erect fine hairs.

As shown in FIG. 1, the velvet wire casing is a triple-layer fabric ribbon, during the fabricating process of which the warp threads are separated into four layers, namely, the highest positioned layer, the second highest positioned layer, the second lowest positioned layer and the lowest positioned layer, in the order from top to bottom. The upper layer is interlaced with the top weft yarn 11 and top warp yarn 12, as shown in FIG. 3. The middle layer is interlaced with the middle weft yarn 13 and middle warp yarn 14, as defined in FIG. 4. The lower layer is interlaced with the lower weft yarn 15 and the lower warp 16, as defined in FIG. 5. The middle and lower layer are linked with warp yarn 18, as defined in FIG. 6. Velvet-forming warp yarn 18 is cut in the middle during weaving and forms the fine hairs 17. The yarns used in this particular embodiment of the present invention are shown in the following chart:

Name ends Yarn Details top weft yarn 11 1 156/48 SD Nylon top warp yarn 12 48 78/24/2 SD Nylon 28 78/24/2 SD Nylon 16 44/12/2 SD Nylon 9 310Dtex Spandex middle weft yarn 13 1 156/48 SD Nylon middle warp yarn 14 45 78/24/2 SD Nylon 16 78/24/2 SD Nylon 16 44/12/2 SD Nylon 9 310Dtex Spandex lower weft yarn 15 1 156/48 SD Nylon lower warp 16 43 78/24/2 SD Nylon 15 310D Spandex Velvet warp yarn 18 41 110/34 SD Nylon66

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the top and middle layers connect at both side (using a two X and two Δ structure in this embodiment). Thus the top and middle layers form a hollow fabric ribbon in which the steel wire runs through within the hollow space. Accordingly, velvet wire casing 10 of the present invention is produced with the top and middle layers connected in both side for containing the steel wire and at the same time the middle layer covered with fine hairs, formed from the warp yarns after their being cut off from the bottom layer.

The velvet wire casing of this particular embodiment is made from nylon and spandex. Fusible yarns may also be added to provide additional strength. However, using fusible yarns is not required to practice the present invention. Warp yarn 18 may use nylon, more preferably, nylon 66 (poloamide 66). In the particular embodiment, the specific nylon is 110/34 SD Nylon66, which is softer in touch compared to the common nylon 6. The warp yarn 18 is actively delivered via mechanical equipment and the height of the fine hairs formed from the warp yarn can be adjusted to any length between 0.5 mm to 3 mm. The structure of the layer of the warp yarn 18, as defined in FIG. 6, uses an interlaced weave with a high-low structure, which is the densest weave possible. This particular high-low weave strengthens the tension of the yarn and reduces its shedding.

The organizational structures of the upper, middle, and lower fabric layers are defined in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, which however are not limitations to the present invention. A preferred organizational structure of the layer of warp yarn 18 is defined in FIG. 6, which is not a limitation to the present invention. The symbols in the figures represent the following: x: the warp yarn in the highest position, ▴: the warp yarn in the second highest position, Δ: the warp yarn in the second lowest position, and ◯: the warp yarn in the lowest position.

The cross-sectional view of the conventional steel wire casing is compared to that according to the present invention in FIG. 2. As shown, the conventional steel wire casing 20 is a double-layer fabric, which is hollow in the middle, for containing a steel wire; the velvet wire casing 10 of the present invention is also hollow, yet is different in that one side of its body has the fine hairs 17. The conventional steel wire casing 20 is a two-layer structure, while the velvet wire casing 10 of present invention is a three-layer structure. When weaving the three-layer structure, the warp yarns are separated into four layers in the order: the highest position, the second highest position, the second lowest position and the lowest position.

As shown in FIG. 8, the bra uses the above-mentioned velvet wire casing, including the cup, shoulder strap, back buckle, etc. The bra support uses the above-mentioned velvet wire casing 10. The velvet wire casing of the present invention is first made as a three-layer fabric. The upper, middle, and lower layers are each woven with warp yarns and weft yarns. The upper and middle layers are connected in both sides to form a hollow fabric, while the middle and the lower layer are connected with the warp yarns. Then, the warp yarns are cut in the middle and become erect fine hairs, with lower layer separated from the top and middle layers. The top and middle layers form the velvet wire casing of the present invention, covered with a layer of erect fine hairs, which features a pleasant visual appearance, good hand feel, convenience of use, and comfort of wear. 

1-8. (canceled)
 9. A velvet wire casing, comprising an upper layer, a middle layer and a layer of fine hairs, wherein said upper layer and middle layer are connected at both sides to form a hollow main body, said layer of fine hairs is covering on said middle layer, and said fine hairs are made from warp threads projecting from said middle layer.
 10. The velvet wire casing of claim 9, wherein said upper layer and middle layer comprise nylon yarns.
 11. The velvet wire casing of claim 9, wherein said upper layer and middle layer comprise spandex yarns.
 12. The velvet wire casing of claim 9, wherein said fine hairs are made from nylon yarns.
 13. The velvet wire casing of claim 9, wherein said upper layer and middle layer comprise fusible yarns.
 14. The velvet wire casing of claim 9, wherein said fine hairs have a height between 0.5 mm and 3.0 mm.
 15. A method of making a velvet wire casing, comprising a first step of weaving integratedly a fabric object comprising an upper layer, a middle layer, bottom layer, and a warp thread connection connecting said middle layer and bottom layer, and a second step of cutting said warp thread connection so that the bottom layer is discarded and said warp thread connection becomes a layer of fine hairs covering said middle layer.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein said fabric object further comprises an integratedly woven connection at each side, connecting said upper layer and middle layer and forming a hollow space therebetween.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said upper layer and middle layer comprise nylon yarns.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein said upper layer and middle layer comprise spandex yarns.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein said fine hairs are made from nylon yarns.
 20. The method of claim 16, wherein said upper layer and middle layer comprise fusible yarns.
 21. The method of claim 16, wherein said fine hairs have a height between 0.5 mm and 3.0 mm.
 22. A piece of underclothing, comprising a velvet wire casing according to claim
 9. 